DENVER — In an effort to combat distracted driving in Colorado, police throughout the state will be able to cite drivers if they are holding their mobile phones when the Mobile Electronic Devices & Motor Vehicle Driving law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
The violation will be a secondary offense, which means police will only be able to issue a ticket if someone is holding their phone while committing a primary traffic offense like running a red light, speeding or reckless driving.
Under the law, hands-free use will still be OK, but holding a phone while operating a moving vehicle will be banned. The law includes exceptions for first responders at work and when people need to report an emergency to 911.
A first-time citation will result in a $75 fine and two points on a driving record.
“We know that just glancing at your phone for five seconds at highway speed is like driving blindfolded the entire length of a football field. So this is going to be a great bill that hopefully Coloradans abide by,” Skyler McKinley with AAA Colorado said.
McKinley believes the new law will help curb distracted driving in Colorado.
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, 77% of drivers in the state have admitted to using their cellphone while driving.
Under the law, people who are issued first-time citations will be able to avoid penalties if they take a receipt to a judge showing they purchased a hands-free accessory, such as a dash mount.
“The goal is that nobody gets ticketed for this, though they can be. It's that we all understand this is dangerous behavior. We need to put a stop to it,” McKinley said.
Bicycle Colorado, a nonprofit advocacy group for pedestrian and bicycle safety on Colorado roads, played a major influence at this year's legislative session to get the law passed.
“What really made a difference is 2023, which was the deadliest year for bicyclists and pedestrians,” executive director Pete Piccolo said.
“There were 133 pedestrians killed and 20 bicyclists killed. It was a record high. Again, we know distracted driving is a leading contributor to those crashes, those fatalities. And I think enough people just had enough,” Piccolo said.
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